According to Israeli human rights organization B’tselem, Israel has demolished 782 homes in the past several years, leaving more than 2,000 Palestinians homeless. About 103 additional homes, soon to be 104, were destroyed by the owners to avoid fines.

Restrictive Israeli policies on home construction in East Jerusalem are part of a wider two-tiered discriminatory Israeli plan aimed at solidifying a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, according to Human Rights Watch.

“Residency revocations are part of a range of policies that include unlawful settlement expansion, home demolitions, and restrictions on building in the city that has shifted the demographics in East Jerusalem,” an HRW report said.

Some 57 percent of all land in occupied East Jerusalem has been expropriated, including from private Palestinian owners, for both the building of illegal settlements and zoning of land as “green areas and public infrastructure”. The remaining 30 percent, OCHA notes, comprises “unplanned areas” where construction is banned.

Self-demolition is the cheaper option for Palestinians, including Iyad Burgan.

Usually, Israel offered an ultimatum for Palestinians to self-demolish, or Israel will do it at a high cost.

At least one-third of all Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem lack building permits, potentially placing more than 100,000 residents at risk of displacement, according to OCHA.

Local NGOs and rights groups have long pointed to a range of Israeli practices and policies in Jerusalem aimed at altering the demographic ratio in favour of Jews, a goal laid out as “maintaining a solid Jewish majority in the city” in the municipality’s 2000 masterplan.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: Jerusalem - 17 November 2021. Israeli authorities force Palestinian Iyad Burgan to Self-demolition for his house in Jerusalem.

0.1 SOUNDBITE (in Arabic) brother of Iyad Burgan.

STORYLINE:

According to Israeli human rights organisation B’tselem, Israel has demolished 782 homes in the past several years, leaving more than 2,000 Palestinians homeless. About 103 additional homes, soon to be 104, were destroyed by the owners to avoid fines.

Restrictive Israeli policies on home construction in East Jerusalem are part of a wider two-tiered discriminatory Israeli plan aimed at solidifying a Jewish majority in Jerusalem, according to Human Rights Watch.

“Residency revocations are part of a range of policies that include unlawful settlement expansion, home demolitions, and restrictions on building in the city that have shifted the demographics in East Jerusalem,” an HRW report said.

Some 57 percent of all land in occupied East Jerusalem has been expropriated, including from private Palestinian owners, for both the building of illegal settlements and zoning of land as “green areas and public infrastructure”. The remaining 30 percent, OCHA notes, comprises “unplanned areas” where construction is banned.

Self-demolition is the cheaper option to Palestinians.

Usually, Israel offered ultimatum for Palestinians to self-demolish, or the Israel will do it with a high cost.

At least one third of all Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem lack building permits, potentially placing more than 100,000 residents at risk of displacement, according to OCHA.

Local NGOs and rights groups have long pointed to a range of Israeli practices and policies in Jerusalem aimed at altering the demographic ratio in favour of Jews, a goal laid out as “maintaining a solid Jewish majority in the city” in the municipality’s 2000 masterplan.



Footage by APAwire